Jekyll2018-01-10T13:56:20-05:00http://cdktips.com/Car Dealers Know TipsCar Dealers Know Tips is a community resource for automotive dealerships and their use of dealer management systems (DMS)CDK ENGLISH query syntax and dictionary property names of integration points2018-01-10T00:00:00-05:002018-01-10T00:00:00-05:00http://cdktips.com/cdk/drive/pick/eip/english/2018/01/10/CDK-ENGLISH-query-syntax-and-dictionary-property-names-of-integration-points<p>CDK uses a multi-value database based on PICK. PICK has a query language called ENGLISH, which is similar to SQL for RDBMS databases. I received a digital file of a scan of a hard copy document called ENGLISH Quick Reference from an insider at CDK which has proved useful when using the ENG function in Drive.
<img src="https://cdktips.com/assets/img/20180110_ENGLISH_quick_refernce.PNG" alt="alt CDK ENGLISH Quick Refernce" title="CDK ENGLISH Quick Reference" /></p>
<p>The verbs selection has been the most useful.</p>
<p>Another tip I received from a trainer was the ENG function in Drive. Using this function it’s possible to get all of the dictionary properties / names of a database file. Take the file CAR-INV. To get all of its dictionary names use this command in the ENG shell “SORT CAR-INV DICT ONLY”. In CDK’s documentation of its EIPs it generously provided the underlying file name of each property, but it didn’t provide the dictionary name. So knowing the actual dictionary property name assists with queries with clauses that use a value other than the default HostItemID.
<img src="https://cdktips.com/assets/img/20180110_ENG_function.PNG" alt="alt CDK ENG function" title="CDK ENG function" /></p>
<p>The output will be a list of dictionary items. The item names are usually obvious enough such that I can map them to the matching property of the EIP.
<img src="https://cdktips.com/assets/img/20180110_ENG_function_results.PNG" alt="alt CDK ENG SORT &lt;FILE NAME&gt; DICT ONLY results" title="CDK ENG SORT &lt;FILE NAME&gt; DICT ONLY results" /></p>
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</script>CDK uses a multi-value database based on PICK. PICK has a query language called ENGLISH, which is similar to SQL for RDBMS databases. I received a digital file of a scan of a hard copy document called ENGLISH Quick Reference from an insider at CDK which has proved useful when using the ENG function in Drive.CDK Drive UUP has a warning against creating user accounts for third parties and threatens violation of terms of use agreement2017-12-20T00:00:00-05:002017-12-20T00:00:00-05:00http://cdktips.com/cdk/licensing/2017/12/20/CDK-Drive-UUP-has-a-warning-against-creating-user-accounts-for-third-parties-and-threatens-violation-of-terms-of-use-agreement<p>I’m sure that this warning message in UUP has existed for some time and that I just noticed it for the first time on 20-Dec-2017.
<img src="https://cdktips.com/assets/img/20171220_cdk-uup-account-creation.PNG" alt="alt CDK Drive UUP warning" title="CDK Drive UUP warning message" /></p>
<p>Always fall back to the lawyers.</p>
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</script>I’m sure that this warning message in UUP has existed for some time and that I just noticed it for the first time on 20-Dec-2017.From DataWizard and EIP to DDA (DA, DABE, DART)2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:002017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00http://cdktips.com/cdk/dealer/data/access/2017/12/14/From-DataWizard-and-EIP-to-DDA-(DA,-DABE,-DART)<p>While <a href="https://www.coxautoinc.com/news/cox-automotive-files-antitrust-lawsuit-cdk-global/" title="Cox Automotive Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against CDK Global">Cox Automotive battles it out with CDK and Reynolds &amp; Reynolds for access to a dealership’s data</a> CDK has introduced the latest version of its Dealer Data Access products. The still current Dealer Data Access products include Drive’s ERPG and operational reports which come with a licence of Drive. The optional products are Data Wizard which is a bulk extract tool that lets a dealer export data from Drive using predefined data definitions to a flexible destination format. In our case, we use the export to RBDMS using an ODBC driver and connection preconfigured in Windows. The other side to DDA is DAP (Data Access Program??? - too many acronyms), and its EIP (Enterprise Integration Points). These can be used for ad-hoc queries of the predefined data points in Drive. They can also be used for write back to Drive which is great for creating automation processes. As with everything in a DMS, these add-ons cost money, and the dealership will need to contract with the DMS provider to get them.</p>
<p>For us, the Data Wizard product has been invaluable as we now have a 100GB data warehouse in SQL Server with 5 years of historical information. Since CDK requires us to purge data from the server to conserve space (why is this even a requirement in the day of cheap terrabytes?!?) we would lose the ability to do year-over-year reporting rather quickly if weren’t for our data warehouse. This data warehouse is the goto for all financial reporting, and really makes using the CDK DMS somewhat pleasurable. However, all good things must come to an end, and so CDK announced that Data Wizard will be sunset and replaced by Data Access Bulk Extract (DABE). What is DABE? That will come shortly.</p>
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</script>While Cox Automotive battles it out with CDK and Reynolds &amp; Reynolds for access to a dealership’s data CDK has introduced the latest version of its Dealer Data Access products. The still current Dealer Data Access products include Drive’s ERPG and operational reports which come with a licence of Drive. The optional products are Data Wizard which is a bulk extract tool that lets a dealer export data from Drive using predefined data definitions to a flexible destination format. In our case, we use the export to RBDMS using an ODBC driver and connection preconfigured in Windows. The other side to DDA is DAP (Data Access Program??? - too many acronyms), and its EIP (Enterprise Integration Points). These can be used for ad-hoc queries of the predefined data points in Drive. They can also be used for write back to Drive which is great for creating automation processes. As with everything in a DMS, these add-ons cost money, and the dealership will need to contract with the DMS provider to get them.CDK to implement a CAPTCHA in Drive2017-12-13T00:00:00-05:002017-12-13T00:00:00-05:00http://cdktips.com/cdk/drive/automation/2017/12/13/CDK-to-implement-a-CAPTCHA-in-Drive<p>CDK sent the email below to Canadian users on Friday 8-Dec-2017 (Fridays are used to “take out the trash” so its use as the release day makes one wary)</p>
<p>We are pleased to announce a new security measure to help protect your DMS. CDK Global has now deployed CAPTCHA technology to help prevent automated systems from connecting to the CDK DMS and compromising DMS availability.
Financial, banking, and e-commerce websites commonly use CAPTCHA technology as a best practice to help protect proprietary and sensitive information from unauthorized access. CAPTCHA technology helps inhibit unauthorized access by requiring users to verify that they are a human. When logging in, users must complete a random visual test that is easily accomplished by humans but difficult for computers to complete.
For more information on how to detect non-authorized access, including the use of DDX reports, please read our FAQ on DDX Non-Authorized Access Reporting.
Adding CAPTCHA capability is part of our continuing effort to improve data security on your behalf. We thank you for continued partnership and ask that you direct any questions related to CAPTCHA deployment to the DDX Support team through the functionality available in DDX, call 855.795.9588 or submit your request to ddx.support@cdk.com.</p>
<p>A CDK representative stated that the CAPTCHA was being deployed as a security feature to stop automated systems trying to access Drive as opposed to individual users signing on. It should not impact the day to day user logon.</p>
<p>My concern with the above statement is that Drive is an anemic interface for doing hundreds, or thousands of repetitive operations necessitating the use of robot process automation to accomplish in Drive what would take a full time employee, therefore adding a CAPTCHA could legitimately hurt a viable business process. Yes a CAPTCHA is a security feature that may be of use to some dealerships, however be honest CDK; the CAPTCHA is about enforcing all third parties to use the CDK third party agreement interface to ensure that it does not lose revenue.</p>
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</script>CDK sent the email below to Canadian users on Friday 8-Dec-2017 (Fridays are used to “take out the trash” so its use as the release day makes one wary)